“Selfie” (slang for photographic self-portrait) is the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2013. Do selfies promote a healthy self-image? Or narcissism?
In a recent Slate article, Rachel Simmons (author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Agression in Girls) posits that selfies are a culturally-acceptable way for girls to express pride. She writes:
The selfie is a tiny pulse of girl pride—a shout-out to the self … If you write off the endless stream of posts as image-conscious narcissism, you’ll miss the chance to watch girls practice promoting themselves—a skill that boys are otherwise given more permission to develop, and which serves them later on when they negotiate for raises and promotions.
The selfie suggests something in picture form—I think I look [beautiful] [happy] [funny] [sexy]. Do you?—that a girl could never get away with saying. It puts the gaze of the camera squarely in a girl’s hands, and along with it, the power to influence the photo’s interpretation …
The selfie flaunts the restrictions of “good girl” culture like a badass teenager sitting in the back of the classroom, refusing to apologize for what she says. I, for one, want to sit next to her in detention.
Check out the entire article, where she fleshes out her thinking by considering other views, too. What do you think?